פרשת וישב שבת חנוכהכ״ו כסלו תשפ״א

5781DECEMBER 12, 2020

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At theISSUE #53

פרשת ראהכ״ט אב תשפ״א

5781JULY 7, 2021

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ShabbosTableRABBI YITZCHOK HISIGER, EDITOR

DESIGN & LAYOUT: MRS. AVIVA KOHN

WEEKLY INSPIRATION AND INSIGHT ADAPTED FROM CLASSIC ARTSCROLL TITLES

A P R OJ E C T O F T H E

DEDICATED BY MENACHEM AND BINAH BRAUNSTEIN AND FAMILY L’ILLUI NISHMAS RAV MOSHE BEN RAV YISSOCHOR BERISH AND MARAS YENTA BAS YISROEL CHAIM

continued on page 3

Parashah

Daf Yomi

LOVE AND FEAR The Torah Treasury by Rabbi Moshe M. Lieber

Moshe Rabbeinu warned the Bnei Yisra-el about the spiritual trap of idolatry. He then spoke about the prohibitions concerning false prophets and the necessity to maintain loyalty to Hashem:

אחרי ה' אלקיכם תלכו ואתו תיראו.After Hashem, your God, you shall go and Him

you shall fear (13:5). The word אחרי, after,

implies distance; the re-lated term אחר implies proximity (see Rashi to Bereishis 15:1). Why does the Torah command us to follow Hashem with the term אחרי, which implies distance? It should have em-ployed the term אחר, which would have demanded that we maintain a close spiritual and emotional proximity to Him.

The Chafetz Chaim explains that the Torah is encouraging us to make the effort to come close to Hashem even if we feel removed from Him. Even if one sees himself as אחרי, distant from Hashem, one should still put all his ener-gies into seeking His closeness. His efforts will be rewarded.

While traveling to the first Knessiah Gedolah

(world convention) of Agudath Israel, the Chafetz Chaim met the Imrei Emes, Rav Avraham Mordechai of Ger, and asked him this very question. The Gerrer Rebbe re-plied, “Allow me to give his honor a Chassidic answer to this question. One who sees himself

as being close to Hashem is actually far away from Him, while one who re-alizes how distant he is from Hashem is actual-ly quite close. One can cleave to Hashem only if he views himself as אחרי

(removed).” As David Hamel-ech said, “Hashem is close to the brokenhearted; and those crushed in spirit, He saves” (Te-hillim 34:1 9).

According to Rav Shmuel Rozovsky, this verse tells us that we must combine love and fear in our service of Hashem. While serving Hash-em out of love is certainly the optimal path, if it is not tempered by fear, it can easily lead to the familiarity that breeds contempt. In order for one to properly maintain his love for Hashem, one must maintain a spiritual posture of אחרי — close yet removed.

WE MUST MAKE THE EFFORT TO COME CLOSE EVEN IF WE FEEL REMOVED.

THE VERY CLOSENESS WE SEEKThe Schottenstein Edition Ein Yaakov – Tractates Yoma/Succah

In this week’s Daf Yomi, the Gemara says (Succah 29a) that when rain precludes a person from dwelling in the succah, it is comparable to a servant who comes with a pitcher of water to mix his master’s

wine, and his master dashes the water into his face. Rain on Succos is a clear indication that Hashem is not interested in our mitzvah.

Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Chev-

ron-Givat Mordechai in Yerusha-layim, won-ders why the sages teach us this lesson regarding the

The Imrei Emes The Chofetz Chaim

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Inspiration BERACHAH FROM THE TAXI DRIVERReaching to Heaven – The elevating life, stories, and teachings of Rav Yaakov Edelstein

by Yedidya Meir and Sivan Rahav-Meir

Rav Yaakov Edelstein, beloved and venerated rav of Ramat Ha-Sharon, was unique in his time for the respect he showed to every single person, young and old, reli-gious or not.

One Friday, Rav Edelstein trav-eled to Bnei Brak for Shabbos. The taxi driver who arrived to drive him from his house in Ramat HaSharon was shirtless and wearing shorts. Rav Edelstein didn’t say a word. When they arrived at their destination in Bnei Brak, in the neighbor-hood of Ne’ot Yosef, where he had been appointed the community rav, the driver helped Rav Edelstein carry his things up the stairs to the apart-ment where he would be staying. Afterward, they went back down-stairs and Rav Edelstein turned to the driver and asked, in front of the surprised gazes of passersby and neighbors, that the driver give him a berachah before Shabbos. It was a sight to see.

There, in the heart of Bnei Brak, stood the elderly, prominent rav, his head bent under the hands of a taxi driver from Ramat HaSharon

who looked like he had just left the beach.

The sight was so incongruous that several minutes afterward, the driver was surrounded by neigh-bors who came to him asking for a berachah as well. “If Rav Edelstein asked you for a berachah,” they said, “we want one, too.”

• • • • •When Rav Edelstein delivered

eulogies for deceased residents of Ramat HaSharon, he always found something unique to say about each one.

One Ramat HaSharon resident relates: “The praises he said and the honor he showed to the de-ceased were a real lesson. Even if the person wasn’t exactly from his community, the rav’s eulogy was to-tally heartfelt. He would say mean-

ingfully, ‘He loved his home, he loved his land, he loved his wife.’

“I remember that one time a Jew who never came to shul except for Yom Kippur and Yizkor passed away. Rav Edelstein eulogized him

with the words, ‘He always mentioned his parents when he came to shul...’

“At another funeral, he found another good sto-ry: ‘There was a Jew who came once during Shemit-tah to arrange a pruzbul, a contract that would allow the person to collect debts

after the Shemittah year.’ It was a conventional halachic practice, and it required a regular beis din consisting of three judges. Yet Rav Edelstein went on to say, ‘The de-ceased joined the beis din right here in Ramat HaSharon!’

“These eulogies taught me how you can find something positive, unique, and even holy about every person. Hearing him give a eulogy made an impression, and it was all absolutely true.”

Rav Yaakov Edelstein

“HE TAUGHT US THAT YOU CAN

FIND SOMETHING POSITIVE, UNIQUE,

AND EVEN HOLY ABOUT EVERY

PERSON.”

YAMIM NORAIM WITH THE MAGGID

In Yamim Noraim with the Maggid, Rabbi Krohn, the famed “American Maggid,” shares brief but pow-erful ideas culled from a large variety of Torah sources. And, of course, he brings those ideas to life

through stories and parables told in his inimitable style. Yamim Noraim with the Maggid includes fascinating insights into the month of Elul, Selichos, Rosh

Hashanah, Tzom Gedaliah, Aseres Yemei Teshuvah and Yom Kippur, as well as commentary on select portions of the Machzor.

TAKE RABBI PAYSACH KROHN WITH YOU DURING THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF THE YEAR!

ELEVATING STORIES AND INSIGHTS FROM ELUL THROUGH YOM KIPPUR

Chinuch

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succah in particular. Presumably, any time Divine Providence inter-feres with our fulfillment of a mitz-vah, it is a sign of Hash-em’s displeasure, of His rejection of our mitzvah. Why is it specifically rain on Succos that evokes such powerful imagery — of a displeased master, harsh-ly rejecting his servant’s service, and his very presence?

Rav Cohen explains based on the Zohar (Vol. 3, 103a), which de-scribes dwelling in the succah as taking refuge beneath Hashem’s “tzila demehemnusa — shelter of faithfulness,” as well as dwelling with the righteous under the wings of the Shechinah (103b). Similarly, the Gemara (Succah 11b) describes the succah as a commemoration of the Clouds of Glory of the Wil-derness, in which the Bnei Yisrael lived securely under Hashem’s di-

rect protection. Thus, dwelling in the succah is not simply fulfilling a Torah command. It is being wel-comed into God’s Presence. When Hashem permits us entry into the

succah, He conveys to us that He wants our company. We deserve a close and loving rela-tionship with Him. When He does not permit us entry, it is not mere-ly a rejection of our mitzvah. It is a rejection of the very closeness we seek with Him (Zeman Simchaseinu, Maamar 5 §1-2,4).

Rav Cohen expands on this. Why does the Mishnah state that the servant comes to mix his mas-ter’s cup, instead of saying simply that he comes to hand it to him?

Rav Cohen cites a fascinating

insight from the Vilna Gaon (Dvar Eliyhau; Yahel Or, Likut, Parashas Pinchas 256b; Kol Eliyahu §85). The High Holy Days are a time of judgment, when Hashem careful-

ly weighs and reviews our every deed. Succos, by contrast, rep-resents Hashem’s love for Klal Yisrael. The mitzvos of the succah and the Four Species mitigate Hashem’s justice, evoking instead His divine mercy for His nation.

This is why our Mishnah illustrates with a person who attempts to en-ter as a servant to dilute his master’s cup of wine. Strong, undiluted ,כוסwine represents Hashem’s strict and undiluted justice. [Additional-ly, the gematria of כוס is the same as that of אלקים, the Name of Hashem that denotes strict justice.] On Suc-cos, we come to temper it, like water softens the sharpness of unmixed wine. If Hashem rejects our efforts and banishes us from the succah, His strict justice remains unmiti-gated.

THE VERY CLOSENESS WE SEEK continued from page 1

Rav Dovid Cohen

HE CONVEYS TO US THAT HE WANTS OUR COMPANY.

WARM THE NOVOCAIN! Living and Parenting by Rabbi Yakov Horowitz

Renowned author and lecturer Reb Avi Shulman once delivered an in-service workshop titled “Effec-tive Classroom Discipline.” During his presentation, he vividly described how impressed he was by the sensitivity of his dentist. When Mr. Shulman was hav-ing a cavity filled, he was informed by his dentist that a shot of Novocain would be given to him to dull the pain of the drill-ing and filling.

Mr. Shulman relat-ed how he watched with interest as his dentist held the vial of Novocain cupped in both his hands for a few moments before injecting it into Mr. Shul-man’s mouth. He explained to Mr. Shulman that in addition to the sting of the shot, patients often feel dis-

comfort when the room-tempera-ture Novocain is injected in their 98.6 degree bodies. He therefore warms the Novocain in his hands before injecting it.

What a powerful message to educators and parents! We have a sacred obligation to guide and direct our children. At the same time, we must keep in mind the importance of projecting warmth and protecting the

dignity of our children when we deliver these im-portant messages. Warm the Novocain. Warm the Novocain!

WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROJECTING WARMTH AND PROTECTING THE DIGNITY OF OUR CHILDREN.

Reb Avi Shulman

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Parashah for Children!NEWפרשת ראה

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The winner of the Parashas Devarim question is: MALKA PFEFFER, Pittsburgh, PA

Kids, please ask your parents to email the answer to shabbosquestion@artscroll.com by this Wednesday to be entered into a weekly raffle to win a $36 ARTSCROLL GIFT CARD! Be sure to include your full name, city, and contact info. Names of winners will appear in a future edition. HINT: The answer can be found in The Jaffa Family Edition Weekly Parashah.

Question for Parashas Re’eh: How can one break every law in the Torah by committing only one sin?

THE WEEKLY QUESTIONTHE WEEKLY QUESTION WIN A $36 ARTSCROLL GIFT CARD!

The question was: In how many languages did Moshe explain the Torah? The answer is: 70.

The Big SecretThe Big Secret hat’s our holiest city? Yerushalayim.

What’s our holiest place? The Beis HaMikdash. Where are these holy places mentioned in the Torah?

Nowhere!Where are they hinted at?

In this parashah.Moshe tells the Jews

about a place that Hashem will choose. In that place the Jews and their families will come together with great joy.

There — and only there — will they bring all their korbanos to Hashem.

Where is this place that Hashem will choose?When Moshe gave the mitzvah, no one knew. It was a secret.

The location Hashem chose was revealed to David HaMelech through Gad HaNavi. That was the place where the Beis HaMikdash was built.

Today, we still know Hashem’s chosen place. It is Har HaMoriah, in Yerushalayim.

This is where Akeidas Yitzchak happened. It’s where Yaakov had his dream of angels going up and down a ladder.

On that holy mountain, Shlomo HaMelech built the Beis HaMikdash. Until today, Jews gather as close as they can get to the place of the Beis HaMikdash — the Kosel

HaMaaravi, the Western Wall, where Hashem’s Shechinah still rests.